Isn’t it ironic that someone who prided herself on her dog-only policy and couldn’t give a fish-cake for the felines, is now housing a tiny five-week-old kitten? Who let the cat in?
Let’s face it; you’re either a dog or a cat inclined person. You prefer to go for walks, scratch bellies and throw balls, or stroke your lap cat (I’m not calling it a pussy for obvious reasons.) Or so I thought…
Our lives took a different turn when I peered into a cardboard packing box outside our Prep classroom on Monday afternoon. I had been lured by the sign Abandoned kittens – free to a good home. I always have a soft spot for the Aussie Battler. Five little sets of eyes lovingly lasered me and one smoky blue pair belonging to a grey kitten with flecks of ginger and white, pierced my inner resistant cat-core. I was meant to rescue this kitten. It was as simple as that.
I didn’t get swept up in the moment and take the kitten. Instead we went home and our daughter quickly broached the subject and gained leverage with her dad. We even had a Brady-Bunch style family meeting. It didn’t take long because hubby has been brought up with cats and wanted his own for years, but my disinterest put it on the backburner. I was still the one having mice and dead birds flashing before my eyes.
Little Ping, who won’t be a she or he until the vet visit this afternoon, is now officially part of our family, much to the horror of Wonka our Chocolate Labrador. Who’s this ‘fluff ball’ eating three meals a day and sleeping on the couch while I’m outside peering in? We introduced the new siblings but it may take them a while to warm to each other. I’ve even confined Ping to the kitchen area and encouraged Wonka to come in the lounge and sit with us. She’s more concerned about leftover cat food than family bonding.
Trying to raise a cat is like being a first-time Mum. I’ve been Googling cat sites, reading books and packets of food for clues. I needed an overview on cats and picked up some interesting information:
On the fun side, there are lots of famous cats. Old favourites like Garfield, Cheshire Cat, Sylvester, Heathcliff and Cleo, Pink Panther and Felix the Cat. Some cats are rehashed like Puss in Puts in Shrek and The Cat in the Hat from the Dr Seuss story. Modern pussycats like Hello Kitty, a Japanese global export hit, also come to mind.
*In Egypt, mummies use to be made of cats and they even embalmed mice for the afterlife. In one ancient city, over 300,000 cat mummies were found. You wouldn’t have stood a chance as a mouse in that city!
I was surprised to read that some very famous writers made bold statements about cats, like Mark Twain who said, “If a man could be crossed with a cat, it would improve the man but deteriorate the cat.**” He is referring to a cat’s independence and refusal to be conform.
I wasn’t shocked to read that dictators like Mussolini and Hitler were cat haters (ailurophobes,) along with Genghis Kahn, Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar. Obviously these were men that didn’t like creatures who refused to jump through hoops for them.
Little Ping has all of us wrapped around her tiny paws and jumping through hoops. We have to be careful where we tread as she follows us around the kitchen. I’m still getting use to the guttural purr.
I continue to live in trepidation of the day Ping rewards us with a mouse or bird on the doormat. I’ve told hubby if that happens, I will throw a sheet over the victim and he can clean up the carcass when he gets home – urgh! I recently rescued a common pigeon from being pecked to death by a Magpie but I’m pretty sure I couldn’t repeat this with a rodent.
If I hadn’t seen that sign or the look of ‘dumped’ kittens, I may never have spent half an hour in the supermarket aisle working out what and how much to feed a kitten. I probably wouldn’t have bought a pink fluffy cat pillow for her bed (I think she’s a girl,) and she wouldn’t have a God-kitty Mother. I wouldn’t have Googled cats and without a doubt I would not be sitting here with a lap kitten typing this blog.
Perhaps you can like both a dog and a cat. You’re proving me wrong Ping.
References:
She's a girl - "Houston...we have a vagina" (vet visit tonight)
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